what's in a fairy tale
by lannistersdebt
Summary: Draco and his sister somewhat explore what a fairy tale does - or does not - mean. Written for Round 12 of the Harry Potter Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition.


I can still remember the look in her eyes when she told me she thought her world was going to change – again. It was one that I couldn't remember seeing there before. There was no terror, no bitterness, no self-pity. Worry, excitement, happiness, nervousness? All of that was there in abundance, and may I just say that I for one was glad of it. She deserved to have a better life than what my father had given her, and your father was just the person to give her that.

I can't tell you everything, because I don't know it. I don't the most intimate details, like what exactly their thoughts were or the time of day that our mother decided that a baby wasn't a bad thing.

And I won't lie, either.

You weren't exactly planned, you see. Don't think worse of them because of it – there was a lot going on, a lot of uncertainty in the wizarding world as a whole and between the two of them. But don't think that they love you any less, because after everything bad that happened during that dark time, you showed them that it _is _possible to have something bright to look forward to.

When you're ready to talk about this more, come to me.

Your brother,  
_Draco _

* * *

The rain had been coming down in sheets for hours, steady and harsh with no signs that it would let up soon. It was the perfect sort of day to sit by the window with a steadily refilling mug full of hot tea and a good book, the sort of day that came around often enough but that were seldom able to be enjoyed. It was no different this day; there were graduation presents to sort through, dinner with her brother to prepare for, and a lengthy conversation with her mother about a variety of things to come.

With a last look outside, Lyra forced herself to stand up and move away from the window. Her list of things to do wouldn't go away just because she wanted them to – plus, if she got something accomplished now, perhaps there would be time enough to read later. That hopeful thought in mind, she made her way to the table in the center of the library she loved so much. Her parents had made a wise decision in putting everything in here.

And what exactly was everything? Her extensive amount of graduation presents. Her friends had all gotten gifts as well, but she doubted their piles were as large as hers – and she wasn't trying to brag. Harry and Hermione seemed to think that they were the sole gift-givers, and Draco had done nothing to dissuade that thought. _He probably didn't want to try to argue with them. _And that was just as well. Harry was due to become the next Minister of Magic and Hermione was at the top of the line in the Magical Law Enforcement division. If they wanted something, they got it, and nothing anyone said could change that.

She sighed and looked over the table. It was going to take a while to go through this.

A couple hours later, the table was nearly cleared off. The rest of the gifts were envelopes, with the exception of one. It was taped to a pair of small black vials, and the handwriting was Draco's – and she most definitely didn't remember seeing it earlier. The rest, she decided, could wait. Eagerly, she slipped the envelope open and pulled out a simple letter from her brother.

_If you're ready, take this to the pensieve. _

And that was all he said. Puzzled, she frowned and took the vials. What on earth did he have for her to look at? Knowing her brother, it could be any number of things ranging from a long-buried family secret to a stroll through the grounds at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to check; she was due for dinner in only an hour, and it would take that long to prepare.

When Draco arrived, she was slipping on her heels. "Give me just a minute!"

"No rush, no rush." His voice dropped after that, back down to its usual level as he talked to their parents. Snape's voice was low and soft enough that she could hardly hear anything he was saying; her mother was another matter. She couldn't quite make out all the words, but she could get the general gist and rolled her eyes. As per usual, it was about her dating life and lack thereof.

After giving them a few more moments to talk, she made her way to the foyer and smiled as she saw Draco's surprised expression. Lyra was beautiful with her dark hair, dark eyes and light complexion, as all the boys in her class agree, but she rarely put effort into her appearance. Tonight, she had curled her hair and had chosen a dark emerald dress paired with silver heels and the locket her brother had given her for her eleventh birthday. "You act like you've never seen a girl dressed up, Draco."

His eyes glittered and he smiled as he met her gaze, and he knew she could tell what he wanted to say. _Usually I see them undressed. _With their present company, he knew it was better to withhold that, though. "I just rarely see _you _showing yourself off. With you on my arm tonight, I'll have no hope of meeting anyone."

"Oh, I daresay you don't have to worry about that." She smiled back.

"As long as they aren't related to the Weasleys…." Narcissa was leaning against the wall, amused. Harry and Hermione may have come around to be friendly with Draco and Narcissa, but Ron hadn't. As such, old prejudices between them stood. "Go, enjoy your night. We'll be here when you get in."

As one, the siblings nodded and Lyra slid her arm through Draco's. The familiar nausea of disapparation was lessened this time – perhaps she was getting used to it? – And then they were in Diagon Alley. The new restaurant, Malarkey's, stood before them. "Looks popular."

"That, dear sister, is what I have heard."

When their meal was over and they had paid, they made their way back out to the main street. Draco led his sister over to a bench rather than asking if she was ready to leave, and as one they sat. He looked over at her, mind clearly working, and wondered if he was doing the right thing. "You don't need to go back yet, do you?"

She shook her head. "Not really. Mum wants to talk to me about something, but that can wait. I honestly don't mind…" She leaned closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "It's not often that I get to spend time with you, after all. She'll understand."

He put his arm around her, held her against him. "I know, little sister. And I'm sorry."

"I understand it. Work is important, and so is your nonexistent dating life…." She was grinning.

"Hey now, yours isn't any better!" He playfully shook her. "And how do you know it's still nonexistent?"

She laughed. Times like this were rare and few between; as she had said, his work was important. Aurors couldn't exactly take off as much as they wanted to, not when they were close to the top of the line. Draco had several vacation days saved up, but every time he planned to take one, a call that sounded too good to pass up came in and he would dash back off to work. Lyra hated many things about that, but his overall absence in her life was at the top of the list. "Well, who would want to date you?"

"I'll have you know that there are several women in line. I just don't like many of them. And why _is _your list of boyfriend prospects so short?"

"I don't know. A lot of reasons." She snuggled into him further and closed her eyes. He smelled good, like cinnamon. "The main one is because of Mum and Dad. They're too…judgmental of everyone. Too harsh."

He nodded slightly. "Did you get my graduation gift?"

"The vials?" She waited for a beat. "I haven't had a chance to look at them yet."

"No worries. Might make more sense after talking to me anyway… Have you heard the story of the princess and the pea?"

Curious, Lyra shook her head. "No, I haven't."

And so he launched into the story of a young wizard prince who wanted to marry a princess. He drug it out longer than the story was typically told, painting pictures of what the castle walls looked like and how the mattresses felt. Lyra imagined that she herself could feel the very pea under the many layers, could feel the bleeding under her skin that created the bruises. She shivered.

When he was finished, he sighed softly. "I wish it worked like that for us in real life."

She agreed. "It does, sometimes."

"Yeah, but not always."

"Look at Mum and my dad… They're almost like a fairy-tale." From the look he was giving her, she wasn't quite sure he agreed. "Does this have something to do with the vials? And the letter?"

His response was to quote one of her favorite lines from one of her favorite books. "God doesn't need to punish us. He just grants us a long enough life to punish ourselves."

"I don't understand…"

"You will once you see everything, little sister. They're happy now, but once…they were very far from it."

They lapsed into silence then, each thinking about their lives, bleeding hearts, and the fairy-tales that, in all reality, they would never trade for.

* * *

_a/n;_

This was written for Round 12 of the Harry Potter Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition.  
I write as Beater 1 for the Montrose Magpies.  
The overall round theme was fairy-tales.  
My particular position theme was The Princess and the Pea.  
My prompts were;  
\- 4 (word); bleeding  
\- 14 (word); hate  
\- 15 (quote); "God doesn't need to punish us. He just grants us a long enough life to punish ourselves." Barbara Kingsolver, _The Poisonwood Bible_

On a random sidenote there, _The Poisonwood Bible _is one of my all time favorite books. Also, firefly81, you're great! ;)


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